Clothes washer agitator



May 12, 1964 N. J BULLOCK CLOTHES WASHER AGITATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 18, 1963 INVENTOR Harman J Buflvvk May 12, 1964 N. J. BULLOCK CLOTHES WASHER AGITATOR Filed July 18, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR.

Q/ Harmon L/. Bad/oak BY May 12, 1964 N. J. BULLOCK CLOTHES WASHER AGITATOR 5 Sh eets-Sheet 5 Filed July 18, 1963 INVENTOR. Norman 4/. BuHoc/f May 1.2, 1964 N. J. BULLOCK 3,132,500

CLOTHES WASHER AGITATOR Filed July 18, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 1N VENTOR 2702022022 11 Bax/10M y 12, 1964 N. J. BULLOCK 3,132,500

CLOTHES WASHER AGITATOR Filed July 18, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

normon 4/. 52.51))! United States Patent 3,132,500 CLUTHES WASHER AGITATOR Norman J. Bullock, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors'Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 18, 1963, Ser. No. 295,955 11 Claims. (Cl. 68-17) This invention relates to a domestic appliance and more particularly to a new agitator for use with a clothes washer.

One type of domestic clothes washer uses vertical reciprocation for washing clothes wherein an agitator is attached to the top of a vertically reciprocable powershaft for movement in a water filled tub. As the agitator moves up and down, toroidal water currents are produced in the tube which cause the clothes to turn over and over-the flexing of the clothes in the presence of the surging currents serving to effect a cleaning action.

Clothes tangling has been a troublesome problem in prior art clothes washers of this type and probably existed due to the different orbiting speeds between the clothes and the washing fluid. Where the clothes are turning over in a restricted area of the radially outer portion of the tube and the water is toroidally circulating throughout the entire tub, relative movement is set up between ditlerent garments in the tub and an intertwining or tangling condition results. This invention is directed to a novel agitator for use with vertical reciprocation to overcome these and other problems.

Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide a vertically reciprocable clothes washer agitator which eliminates the problem of clothes tangling and produces less sudsing in the tub.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a clothes washer agitator adapted for vertical reciprocation and including a hollow column for receiving a bleach dispensing cup, a pump ring below the column for producing toroidal currents in response to vertical reciprocation, and a pair of elongated, frusto-conical clothes actuator rings .on said column above said pump ring for ratcheting the clothes in an orbital path, the space formed between the column and one of said clothes actuator rings being vented to atmosphere through the hollow column and the space between the column and the other of said clothes actuator rings being vented to atmosphere through a port in an upper portion of said last named ring.

It is a further object of this invention to adapt said port in the agitator set forth hereinabove to spurt washing fluid therefrom onto clothes extending above the normal level of washing fluid in said tub, thereby to quickly wet down the clothes being washed as an aid .in the submerging thereof and to chase lint outwardly toward the outflow ports of the tub as the means for eliminating said lint.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an elongated bleach dispensing cup for use with the agitator of this invention.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic sectional view, partly in elevation, of a clothes washer provided with the new clothes agitator of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a clothes washer spin tub in combination with the agitator of this 3,132,500 Patented May 12, 1964 invention showing the circulating currents obtainable with this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a side sectional view of a neoprene pump ring suitable for use with this invention and taken along line 3-3 in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 4 is a top elevational view of the pump ring of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a side sectional View of the lower clothes actuator ring taken along line 5-5 in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 6 is a top elevational view of the lower clothes actuator ring;

FIGURE 7 is a side sectional view of the agitator column and upper clothes actuator ring taken along line 77 in FIGURE 8 and showing in phantom the manner in which the lower clothes actuator ring is nested therewith;

FIGURE 8 is a bottom elevational view of the agitator column and upper clothes actuator ring;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary elevational View of the surge relief port in the upper clothes actuator ring taken in the direction of arrow 9 in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 10 is a top elevational view of the agitator column and upper clothes actuator ring;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the means for latching a cap to the top of the agitator column taken in the direction of arrow 11 in FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is a sectional view taken along line l2-12 in FIGURE 11;

FIGURE 13 is a side sectional view of the agitator cap taken along line 1313 in FIGURE 14;

FIGURE 14 is a bottom elevational view of the agitator dispenser cup; and

FIGURE 18' is a side sectional view of a urethane pump ring suitable for use with this invention.

In accordance with this invention and with reference to FIGURE 1, a clothes washer 2t) is comprised of a control housing portion 22 and an outer cabinet or casing 24. The casing 24 is generally divided into a mechanism portion or compartment 26 and a washing portion or water container chamber 28. A generally centrally located bulkhead 30 separates the mechanism compartment 26 from the Water container chamber 2% which is further bounded by a cylindrical water container Wall 32. Within the water container 32 is a spin tub 34 having a top opening 36 and a plurality of centrifuging outflow ports 38. The ports 38 are designed to permit the egress of water from the tub 34 when the tub is rotated at high speed. For filling the tub 34 with water, a conventional water supply system may be provided with a hot water solenoid actuated valve 40 and a cold water solenoid actuated valve 42, both of which are manifolded into a mixed water supply conduit 44 terminating at a chute 46 overlying the opening of the tub 34. Within the tube 34, an agitator or pulsator 48 is adapted to reciprocate for producing toroidal circulation of water in the tube and for agitating clothes therein. Thus, clothing placed within the tub 34 is washed as the agitating action'of the agitator 48 forces surging currents of washing fluid and detergent through the fabric. Conventional sequentially operating timer means, shown generally at 50 on the control housing 22, may be included to selectively admit water through the supply conduit 44,

.3 to spin the tub 34 and to vertically reciprocate the agitator 48.

A prime moving system, shown generally at 52, in the mechanism compartment 26 is adapted to selectively rotate the tub 34 and reciprocate the agitator d8. Two agitating and spinning mechanisms suitable for such selective use with this invention are shown in the patents to Sisson 2,987,904, issued June 13, 1961, and to Brucken 3,087,321, issued April 30, 1963. Such mechanisms may be designed for agitate speeds of 330 and 220 1.75-inch strokes per minute with spin speeds of 710 and 465 revolutions per minute. In addition to selectively operating the spin tub and the agitator, the agitating and spinning mechanism 52 includes a pump for draining the water container 32 through the drain conduit 54.

Turning now to FIGURE 2, the novel agitator 48 of this invention is shown installed in the spin tub 34 having the following dimensions. The overall height A is 12 inches and the distance B from the top of the ballast ring to the fluid level 56 in the tub is 2 inches. The outer diameter of the tub 34 at its greatest point, not counting the small out-turned flan e adjacent the outflow ports 38, is 21 /2 inches. The tub 34 is supported on an annular casting 58 which is afiixed to the spin shaft portion 6i) of the agitating and spinning mechanism 52. The vertically reciprocable agitate shaft 62 extends through the spin shaft 69 and the tub support casting 58 into the tub where it is adapted to receive the agitator 48. A concentric bellows arrangement includes a water seal bellows 64 and an oil seal bellows 65 which interconnect the bottom of the tub 34 and the tub mounting nut 63 in a manner to provide a water seal to prevent water from reaching the mechanism and an oil seal to prevent oil from reaching the inside of the tub. The agitator 48 is shown in its uppermost position in FIG- URE 2-its lowermost position being shown by the phantom line indication 66. The length of stroke C traveled by the agitator 48 is 1.75 inches.

The no-tangle, low sudsing, agitator 48 of this invention is shown assembled in FIGURE 2 and includes generally a bell-shaped pump ring 76), and an elongated generally frusto-conical lower clothes actuator ring 72 forming with said pump ring an annular downwardly opening lower surge pressure chamber 73. A circulator column 74 includes a generally cylindrical hollow housing portion 75 and an elongated generally frusto-conical upper clothes actuator ring portion '76 spaced from said lower clothes actuator ring 72 to form an upper surge pressure relief chamber 77. The hollow housing portion 75 is rather cup-shaped having a bottom wall 78 and an open top 80. For partially closing this open top 80, an agitator cap 82 is designed to twistingly snap fasten to the circulator column 74 in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter. Suflice it at this point to recognize that a free flow of air is permitted to dis charge to the atmosphere from the hollow housing portion of the circulator column irrespective of the agitator cap 82. Best washing results are realized when sudsing in the washing fluid (water and detergent) is minimized. The relief to atmosphere of air in the washing fluid restricts the formation of air bubbles therein and causes less suds. As an example of the effectiveness of this agitator, a given quantity of like detergent and water was vertically agitated with a currently marketed prior art vertical agitator and the agitator of this invention. The prior art agitator produced a -inch stand of suds as opposed to a 3 or 4-inch stand of suds using my device.

The pump ring 70 is shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 and, except for metal agitator reinforcement members 84, is formed of molded synthetic rubber such as neoprene. The purpose of the pump ring 70 is to set up strong surges of current along the bottom of the wash tub which ultimately create a toroidal circulation throughout the tub. Such circulation causes the clothes placed therein 4 in turn over. Such turnover flexes the fabric of the clothes and presents different portions of the clothing to the strong surges of washing fluid adjacent the outer periphery of the pump ring '70.

Pump ring dimensions which have been suitable for producing the desired surges of washing fluid are as follows (FIGURES 3 and 4). The height of the ring D may be 4%.; inches with an overall diameter E of 9 /2 inches. On the outer surface of the pump ring 70, the concavity of the bell-shaped surface may have a radius F of 7 inches.

Where it is desired to reduce the overall weight of the agitator 43, and turning to FIGURE 18, a pump ring 71 may be formed of urethane having an overall height G of 4 inches and an outer diameter H of 9 /2 inches. The radius of curvature or concavity on the outer surface of the urethane pump ring 71 may also be 7 inches as with the neoprene ring of FIGURE 3. Such a substitution of the urethane pump ring 71 for the neoprene pump ring 70 will eflect a weight reduction in the agitator of approximately two pounds.

With reference now to FIGURES 5 and 6, the lower clothes actuator ring 72 will be described. This ring 72 may be molded as a substantially frusto-conical member of any heat resistant plastic such as polypropylene or a heat resistant copolyrner, such as polymer resins made by combining a styrene-acrylonitrile resin component with a butadieneacrylonitrile resin by mechanical mixing or by more complex polymerization procedures. The lower peripheral edge 86 is formed with approximately a inch radius and is designed to ratchet, nudge or actuate clothing coming in contact therewith downwardly when the agitator 48 is reciprocating. The upper end of the ring 72 is formed with an opening 88 for receiving the bottom of the circulator column housing portion .75, as will be described more fully hereinafter. Within the ring 72, four integral strengthening ribs 96 are formed with terminal lock portions 92 extending into the opening 83 for interfitting with the circulator column housing portion 75. Dimensions found suitable for use with the lower clothes actuator ring 72 are a height I of 4 inches with an overall diameter K of 9% inches.

Immediately above the lower clothes actuator ring and nested therewith is the circulator column 74 seen best in FIGURES 7, 8 and 9. The housing portion of the circulator column forms a hollow detergent and bleach dispensing chamber 96 having openings 93 at the bottom thereof through which detergent and the like are dispensed into the wash tub 34. These same openings 98 become lower surge relief ports for relieving surge pressures built up between the rings 70, 72 to permit clothes being washed to come into actuating contact with the clothes actuator rings 72 and 76. In addition to the combination surge relief and dispensing ports 98, four slots 1% are interposed between adjacent ports 98 and adapted to receive the terminal lock portions 92 on the lower clothes actuator ring 72. This permits the lower clothes actuator ring to nest in locking engagement with the circulator column 74, as shown in phantom line N2 in FIGURE 7. The circulator column 74 may be molded in one piece of the same material used for the lower clothes actuator ring 72 and should include a lower peripheral clothes actuator edge 106 having a radius of inch at the point where the clothes ratcheting actuation occurs.

r .2 addition to relieving surge pressures built up beneath the upper ring 76, the surge relief ports 108, by facing upmove during the course of each stroke from a position above the water line 56 to a position therebelow and this action results in intermittent spurts of washing fluid jetting outwardly onto clothing which extends above the normal surface of the washing liquid. The spurting action aids in wetting down these clothes and expedites the submergence of the complete clothes load. It also chases lint toward the outflow ports 38.

The following dimensions have been found suitable for use with the circulator column 74: heights L, 6% inches, and M, 6 inches; a ring diameter N of 8% inches; and an inside cup diameter of 3 ,4 inches. A complete relief of surge pressures between the lower clothes actuator ring 72 and the pump ring therebelow will be accomplished with lower surge relief ports 98 formed with a height P of 1% inches and a width Q of inch (FIGURE 7). Complete relief of the surge pressures between the upper clothes actuator ring 76 and the lower clothes actuator ring 72 plus a nozzle relationship to effect intermittent Spurting of washing fluid will occur with upper surge relief ports 108 having a width R of 1% inches and a height S of /2 inch (FIGURE 9).

The manner for retaining the assembled agitator 43 on the agitate shaft 62 will now be described, reference being had to FIGURE 2. Threadedly engaged with the upper end of the agitate, shaft 62 is an agitator shaft stud 120 which is adapted to extend through an opening 122 in the bottom 78 of the circulator column. A column mounting adapter 124 fits over the stud 121 after the circulator column wall 73 and a column mounting nut gasket 125 are in place; and the entire assembly is completed by a column mounting nut 126 which threadedly engages the top of the stud 12f).

Turning now to FIGURES 2, 13, 14 and 15, the agitator cap '82 will now be described. The cap '82 in its inverted position is useful for measuring detergent which can then be dumped into the hollow 96 of the circulator column 74. A depending peripheral flange or skirt 130 extends around the cap 82 and is spaced from the outside of the circulator column 94 when installed (FIGURE 2) to form a passageway 142. Spaced from the flange 130 are arcuate ribs 132 and 134 which are relatively slidably supported on the top of the circulator column to carry the agitator cap and form therebetween the passageway 1142 on one side thereof and a passageway 140 on the other side thereof. Extending radially inwardly from the peripheral flange 130 are two lock tangs 136 and 138 which are adapted to lockingly engage with the circulator column, as will be described next following. The passageways Mil and 142 permit surge pressures Within the circulator column compartment 96 to vent completely to atmosphere. Several flange strengthening ribs 146 may also be spaced about the flange 130 to give the flange lateral strength.

The agitator cap 82 is designed to snap onto the top of the circulator column 74 when rotated relative thereto. For this purpose and with reference to FIGURES 11, 12 and 13, the latching means includes the tangs I36, 133 on the cap, each formed with a cam portion 150 and a recessed portion or pocket 152, and four keeper ribs 156 on the radially outside of the circulator column. The tangs, when the cap is interfitted with the top of the circulator column 74, engage any pair of the ribs I56 to retain the cap on the column.

A bleach dispensing cup 160 is designed to fit into the hollow 96 of the circulator column. The cup 160 is comprised of a lower retainer cup portion 162 having a reentry portion 164 and an open top upper cup portion 166. Radially directed ribs 168 extending from the cup space the sides thereof from the circulator column housing portion 75 when placed therein to form a vent passageway 170 (FIGURE 2) which interconnects the passageways 140, 142 in the cap with the lower surge pressure chamber 73. A plurality of bleach outflow ports 1171 are positioned in the sidewall of the cup between the top and bottom thereof behind a flange or skirt 172 depending slantingly outwardly from the upper portion $.66 of the cup. A flat spring 174 in the reentry portion of the cup is adapted to engage the mounting nut 126 as a yieldable means for holding the cup res snugly in the hollow of the circulator column. When the cap 32 is snap-fastened onto the circulator column, the bleach cup Mil, sealingly engaged along its open top by the inside of the cap, is forced downwardly against the yielding bias of the spring.

In operation and prior to starting a washing cycle, the cap 82 is removed along with the bleach cup and detergent is placed on the bottom 78 of the circulator column housing portion '75. Then, bleach is placed in the cup 169 and the cup returned to the hollow of the circulator column. When the cap 82 is locked in position on the circulator column, the bleach cup 160 will be pressed into spring-biased tightly held relationship with the circulator column.

The agitator 4% is now conditioned for a washing cycle including an initial period of controlled dispensing. When the agitator is reciprocated in a tub 34 containing Washing fluid, the pump ring '70 will create a toroidal circulation of washing fluid shown by the arrows 11% in FIG- URE 2. Surging currents of wash water will slosh in and out of the housing portion of the circulator column through the ports 33 and the detergent therein will be dissolved by the water and returned therewith to the tub to form a washing fluid. At the same time, the shaking action of the bleach cup 16h will cause an interchange of washing fluid and bleach in the annular passageway 170 and, thus, diluted bleach will be dispensed through the ports 98 into the washing fluid beneath the surface thereof (dry powdered dye may also be thus dispensed). Note that the skirt 172 on the bleach cup will prevent undiluted bleach from entering the tub through the passageways 140 and 1142 and that the outwardly slanted cup wall and skirt will cause the cup to purge itself during spinning thereof.

Washing action is accomplished when, with vertical reciprocation, the pump ring 70 sends surging currents of washing fluid through the flexing fabrics adjacent the pump ring 76 at the bottom of the tub-the actuator rings pulsatingly submerging or ratcheting the clothes into a position where they will be thus exposed to said currents. With prior art devices of the vertical action type, localized pressures or currents in the vicinity of the agitator retarded the approach of the clothes toward the agitator. But, with this invention, these localized pressures are vented to atmosphere. The peripheral clothes actuating edges 86 and me on the clothes actuator rings are then free to nudge or ratchet the clothes coming into contact therewith downwardly homogeneously toward the surging current action of the pump ring 7i). Clothes tangling is prevented and the folds of the fabric are retained more open for improved rinsing. More particularly, surge pressures or currents occurring in chamber '73 under the lower ring are vented completely to atmosphere by way of the surge relief ports 9% and vent passageways 170, 140 and 142. At the same time surge pressures or currents occurring in chamber '77 under the upper ring are relieved to atmosphere through the ports 1%. Moreover, such venting action reduces the formation of air bubbles in the washing fluid, thereby to minimize sudsing and to restrict the billowing of fabric such as sheets or the like.

In accordance with another aspect of this invention, the surging currents moving upwardly in the surge pressure chamber 77 while the agitator 48 is moving downwardly jet outwardly from the upper relief ports 108. These spurts of water wet down any fabric portion extending above the surface 56 of the washing fluid and thereby expedite the rapid submergence of all the clothes to be 7 washed. Still further, lint is eliminated by the fluid spurting from the ports lull-this intermittent spurting action serving to push the lint from the surface or" the washing fluid toward the tub outflow ports 38.

It should now be seen that an improved agitator has been provided for a vertically reciprocating clothes washer. Surge pressures, which in the prior art have tended to prevent the clothes from turning over throughout the complete cross section of the tub, have been relieved to atmosphere, thereby to facilitate contact between the clothes actuator rings and the clothes so that the clothes and the water will move in homogeneously toroidal fashion. Without relative movement between the garments or portions thereof, no tangling occurs. Each clothes load, regardless of size, will turn over at the same rate of about four or five times per minute. Thus, there will be no increased tendency of small loads to tangle. Moreover, the relief of these surge pressures to eflectuate clothes actuation is then converted, by way of nozzlelike ports in the top of the agitator, into a multitude of spurting jets of washing fluid to expeditiously wet clothing and eliminate lint on the surface of the washing fluid While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A clothes washer agitator for use in a wash tub having outflow means and adapted to enclose a washing fluid and comprising,

(a) a pump rin. adapted for automatic vertical reciprocation throughout a stroke of approximately 1.75 inches and at speeds in excess of one hundred reciprocations per minute to produce toroidal washing currents in said tub,

(b) a circulator column including a hollow open top housing portion and an elongated, generally frustoconical upper clothes actuator ring portion,

(0) said housing portion at the bottom thereof having an indexing slot therein,

(d) an elongated, generally frusto-conical lower clothes actuator ring spaced from said pump ring and said upper clothes actuator ring and having a diameter greater than said upper clothes actuator ring portion but less than said pump ring and including an indexing rib on the radially inner side thereof insertable into the indexing slot in said housing portion for nesting said lower clothes actuator ring with said circulator column,

(e) means for retaining said pump ring, said lower clothes actuator ring and said upper clothes actuator ring in assembled relationship whereby to form an upper surge relief chamber between said upper clothes actuator ring and said lower clothes actuator ring and a lower surge relief chamber between said lower clothes actuator ring and said pump ring,

(f) said housing portion including a lower surge relief port between said pump ring and said lower clothes actuator ring for venting said lower surge relief chamber to the atmosphere through the hollow of said housing portion thereby to reduce sudsing in said tub,

(g) said upper clothes actuator ring having an upper surge relief port therein connecting said upper surge relief chamber to atmosphere and positioned in a manner to be reciprocated above and below the fluid surface in said tub whereby to facilitate the complete relief of surge pressures in said upper surge relief chamber of the agitator to reduce sudsing in said tub and to create spurts of fluid generally radially outwardly from said upper surge relief port onto said fluid surface to wet down clothes above said fluid surface and to chase lint toward said outflow means.

(It) a bleach cup in the hollow of said housing portion having an open top and a bleach dispensing opening in the side thereof intermediate the top and bottom of said bleach cup for placing the inside of said bleach cup in communication with the hollow of said housing portion for shaking interchange of bleach and washing fluid therebetween,

(i) said bleach cup having a depending protective skirt adjacent said dispensing opening and rib means thereon for spacing said bleach cup from said housing portion to form a first vent passageway connecting the lower surge relief chamber to the open top of said housing portion by way of the said lower surge relief port in said housing portion,

(j) an agitator cap on said housing portion for partially closing the open top thereof and for retaining said bleach cup therein,

(k) said agitator cap including means forming with said housing portion a second vent passageway connecting the open top of said housing portion to the atmosphere whereby to facilitate the complete relief of surge pressures in the lower surge relief chamber of the agitator,

(l) and latch means for selectively lockingly retaining said agitator cap on said housing portion.

2. The clothes washer agitator of claim 1 wherein said pump ring is a bell-shaped element of neoprene.

3. The clothes washer agitator of claim 1 wherein said pump ring is a bell-shaped element of urethane.

4. The clothes washer agitator of claim 1 wherein said upper surge relief port is substantially rectangular and said upper clothes actuator ring includes a shallow channel around said ring and including said port.

5 The clothes washer agitator of claim 1 wherein said bleach cupincludes a re-entry portion in the bottom thereof for receiving said retaining means and including a spring yieldingly urging said bleach cup away from said retaining means and into bleach cup open top sealing engagement with said agitator cap.

6. The clothes washer agitator of claim 1 wherein said latch means includes a tang on said cap and a rib on said housing portion, said tang including a cam portion and a recess portion whereby the relative rotation of said agitator cap and said housing portion will cause said rib to ride over said cam portion into said recess thereby to firmly retain said bleach cup in said housing portion and to lock said agitator cap on said housing portion.

7. A clothes washer agitator for use in a wash tub adapted to enclose fluid and comprising,

(a) a pump ring adapted for automatic vertical reciprocation to produce toroidal washing currents in said tub,

(b) means forming a circulator column including a hollow open top housing and a generally frustoconical upper clothes actuator ring,

(0) means forming a generally frusto-conical lower clothes actuator ring spaced from said pump ring and said upper clothes actuator ring and having a diameter greater than said upper clothes actuator ring portion but less than said pump ring,

((1) means for retaining said pump ring, said lower clothes actuator ring and said upper clothes actuator ring in assembled relationship whereby to form an upper surge relief chamber between said upper clothes actuator ring and said lower clothes actuator ring and a lower surge relief chamber between said lower clothes actuator ring and said pump ring,

(2) said housing including a lower surge relief port between said pump ring and said lower clothes actuator ring for venting said lower surge relief chamber to the atmosphere through the hollow of said houss.

(f) said upper clothes actuator ring having an upper surge relief port therein connecting said upper surge relief chamber to atmosphere and positioned in a manner to be reciprocated above and below the fluid surface in said tub whereby to facilitate the complete relief of surge pressures in said upper surge relief chamber of the agitator and to create spurts of fluid generally radially outwardly from said upper surge relief port onto said fluid surface to wet down clothes above said fluid surface,

(g) a bleach cup in the hollow of said housing having an open top and a bleach dispensing opening in the side thereof for placing the inside of said bleach cup in communication with the hollow of said housing,

(11) means for spacing said bleach cup from said housing to form a first vent passageway connecting the lower surge relief chamber to the open top of said housing by way of the said lower surge relief port in said housing,

(i) and an agitator cap selectively retained on said housing for partially closing the open top thereof and for retaining said bleach cup therein,

(j) said agitator cap including means forming with said housing a second vent passageway connecting the open top of said housing to the atmosphere whereby to facilitate the complete relief of surge pressures in the lower surge relief chamber of the agitator.

8. A clothes washer agitator for use in a Wash tub adapted to enclose fluid and comprising,

(a) a pump ring adapted for automatic vertical reciprocation to produce toroidal washing currents in said tub,

(b) means forming a circulator column including a hollow open top housing and a generally frustoconical upper clothes actuator ring,

() means forming a generally frusto-conical lower clothes actuator ring spaced from said pump ring and said upper clothes actuator ring,

(d) means for retaining said pump ring, said lower clothes actuator ring and said upper clothes actuator ring in assembled relationship whereby to form an upper surge relief chamber between said upper clothes actuator ring and said lower clothes actuator ring and a lower surge relief chamber between said lower clothes actuator ring and said pump ring,

(c) said housing including a lower surge relief port between said pump ring and said lower clothes actuator ring for venting said lower surge relief chamber to the atmosphere through the hollow of said housing,

(f) said upper clothes actuator ring having an upper surge relief port therein connecting said upper surge relief chamber to atmosphere and positioned in a manner to be reciprocated above and below the fluid surface in said tub whereby to facilitate the relief of surge pressures in said upper surge relief chamber of the agitator and to create spurts of fluid generally radially outwardly from said upper surge relief port onto said fluid surface to wet down clothes above said fluid surface,

(g) and an agitator cap selectively retained on said housing for partially closing the open top thereof,

(h) said agitator cap including means forming with said housing a second vent passageway connecting the open top of said housing to the atmosphere whereby to facilitate the relief of surge pressures in the lower surge relief chamber of the agitator.

9. A clothes washer agitator in combination with a wash tub having outflow means and adapted to enclose fluid at a predetermined level and comprising,

(a) a pump ring adapted for automatic linear reciprocation to produce toroidal washing currents in said tub,

(b) means forming a circulator column including an upper clothes actuator ring, and

(c) means for retaining said pump ring and said upper clothes actuator ring in assembled relationship whereby to form an upper surge relief chamber between said upper clothes actuator ring and said pump ring,

(0') said upper clothes actuator ring having a surge relief port therein connecting said upper surge relief chamber to atmosphere and positioned in a manner to be reciprocated above and below said predetermined level of fluid in said tub whereby to facilitate the relief of surge pressures in said upper surge relief chamber of the agitator and to create spurts of fluid generally radially outwardly from said upper surge relief port onto said fluid surface to Wet down clothes above said fluid surface and to chase lint toward said outflow means.

10. The clothes washer agitator of claim 9 wherein said pump ring is a bell-shaped element of neoprene.

11. The clothes washer agitator of claim 9 wherein said pump ring is a bell-shaped element of urethane.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 203,730 Heaton May 14, 1878 1,384,876 Voss July 19, 1921 1,408,596 Heinrich Mar. 7, 1922 2,921,460 Aberle Jan. 19, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 609,985 Great Britain Oct. 8, 1948 

9. A CLOTHES WASHER AGITATOR IN COMBINATION WITH A
 9. A CLOTHES WASHER AGITATOR IN COMBINATION WITH A WASH TUB HAVING OUTFLOW MEANS AND ADAPTED TO ENCLOSE FLUID AT A PREDETERMINED LEVEL AND COMPRISING, (A) A PUMP RING ADAPTED FOR AUTOMATIC LINEAR RECIPROCATION TO PRODUCE TORODIAL WASHING CURRENTS IN SAID TUB, (B) MEANS FORMING A CIRCULATOR COLUMN INCLUDING AN UPPER CLOTHES ACTUATOR RING, AND (C) MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID PUMP RING AND SAID UPPER CLOTHES ACTUATOR RING IN ASSEMBLED RELATIONSHIP WHEREBY TO FORM AN UPPER SURGE RELIEF CHAMBER BETWEEN SAID UPPER CLOTHES ACTUATOR RING AND SAID PUMP RING, 